Hermione Granger And The Unlikely Alliance
by LizzyTheCat2000
Summary: She had been naïve to think that in the war the ministry had been completely under the power of Voldemort. After Harry and Ron are offered jobs but Hermione spurned because of her blood status she vows to a wronged classmate, Dean, to change things. They form an alliance taking a rocky path to change the wizarding world. "We won't let them oppress us, we didn't with Voldemort."
1. Spurned

**CHAPTER ONE- A CLEARER SITUATION**

* * *

It had been a month since the end of the war and during that time Hermione, Harry and Ron had stayed at the burrow. Not going outside for fear of being hounded by the press which were almost always lurking around.

Apparating anywhere was also out of the question because of how they were known world wide in the wizarding world.

So, here they were sitting around in the burrow. Not that they hadn't done anything worthwhile, they had become amazing at every kind of wizarding game and muggle game that the Weasley's owned. They had gotten fit, though they hadn't been able to fly their broomsticks they ran laps and lifted weights. Oh! and Mrs Weasley and Ginny had started on at Hermione about taking some kind of care with her appearance. Pleading to give her a make-over.

Reluctantly Hermione had agreed because of the grief they were both suffering from with losing Fred...

They had transfigured her clothes-because they couldn't pick up new ones-and talked about muggle clothing as well. By the end of her make-over Hermione knew about all 'important' designer makes and what was deemed fashionable.

Hermione now regularly sported skinny jeans, pretty tops and wore tasteful make-up, sometimes edging for the vintage dresses she had transfigured for herself. She still wore her beat up Dr Martens though. Nobody could tear her away from them.

That was all that had been happening during that time. Not to mention her and Ron had started dating and things were going fairly well. It was then, when they were watching buffy on the TV Mr Weasley had recently acquired that Kingsley Shacklebolt apparated into the living room. Startling everybody.

Kingsley had become Minister, and hopefully he would be a much better one than the previous choices.

He stood in front of them, tall and proud saying head held high "I need to talk to you Mr Potter and you Mr Weasley at the ministry, now would be good." and with disbelief Hermione watched in shock as he firmly grabbed both Harry and Ron before apparating away.

Probably back to the ministry.

Ginny chose that moment to appear a bowl filled with warm homemade beetroot cupcakes in her hands. "Where did Harry and Ron go?" she asked, her tone puzzled. It wasn't as if they had anywhere to be. Though Hogwarts reconstruction had been going well. Hermione offering tips and promising to join them soon. She hoped.

"I think Kingsley took them to the ministry. Probably about becoming an auror... though he knows I too wanted to become an auror, huh."

Ginny pulled a face settling next to the surprised brunette. "I'm sure it's not about that. He knows your capable, probably more capable with your knowledge, maybe it's too tell thme they need to finish their education first. Like you said you would do, I need to do my sixth year as well along with Luna. Though McGonagall said that if you were in sixth or seventh year at the time of the war you didn't have to return." Ginny put her arm around Hermione in support.

She knew how Hermione worried.

Hermione's duration didn't last long as she returned to rationality and continued to watch the rest of the Buffy episode currently on the telly, just as the credits were rolling Harry and Ron appeared in the middle of a heated discussion.

Both girls stood up, alarmed at their sudden appearance.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked her tone curious. But secretly worrying that Dolohov may have escaped Azkaban, it was well known of his obsession with Hermione since she hadn't perished against him in fifth year.

Harry turned to face her, his cheeks were flushed and glimmering green eyes enraged. He practically hissed out the following "Our _dear_ friend, Ronald, has decided to take the job the ministry offered the both of us, you know the one that Kingsley forgot to offer you the brightest witch of our generation, a part of the golden trio. Certified magical genius? And WHY you might ask all because of you bloody blood status, Kingsley told us you had to attain a 'higher standard' before being offered a job at the ministry and that it had hardly been right you travelling around with us all those months."

Hermione went numb, as numb as if she had been in the sea swimming for an hour in the winter months. her mouth drying out, though she had been drinking chai tea moments before their arrival. She turned slowly to see Ginny running a hand through her fiery hair, looking at Ron with thinly veiled disgust.

Hermione turned to her so called boyfriend. The 'love of her life'. She then looked at Harry who was red in the face and running a hand through his nest of hair. A scowl on his angular face.

Hermione managed to whisper out, her voice thick with shock and emotion "You took a job there after they said they wouldn't take your mudblood girlfriend? Don't you love me at all?"

* * *

It was an understatement to say that Dean was having a hard time.

He had trekked back and forth to the ministry what felt like a gazillion times, each and every one with Luna and Ollivander at his side, and sometimes even with Seamus who acted as his support when Dean had to tell them about something particularly scarring.

About the failed attempts to escape, helped by Malfoy of all people, who gave them their wands to incapacitate them. Or sometimes just bring them more food or give them some medical attention but not so that the other Malfoy's would notice.

It was hard for Dean to admit that it was only because of Draco Malfoy that he was still alive today.

It was even harder to face the scorn of the court after they realised that Seamus was his boyfriend and not just a friend as they had originally thought, apparently the wizarding world was not so open...

Dean, Luna, Ollivander and Seamus were sitting outside the court room, waiting for the verdict and compensation or whatever it was they would get. Oh and what they would do about Draco Malfoy now that something's had come to light.

It was then that Dean noticed a gangly raven haired teen, and a bulky redhead at his side, in discussion with Kingsley Shacklebolt the new Minister. Harry becoming angry rather quickly, more so when he saw Ron shake hands with Shacklebolt, in agreement over something.

Harry grabbed Ron aggressively by the arm before apparating away with what seemed like a furious pop. Leaving Shacklebolt standing there, before leaving to head back to his office.

Dean turned to his boyfriend, quietly taking his hand, he asked aloud "What do you think that was about?" stating his question to all his companions.

Luna looked at him with her silver eyes and straggly blonde hair "Well, personally I think Harry left to do with the absence of Hermione, why would they both be here and not the other third of the golden trio. Especially the brains behind it. The ministry isn't quite as refreshed as we thought is the only conclusion I can come up with, that they weren't completely under the imperious when hunting down muggleborns."

Seamus shuddered and Dean put an arm around him comfortingly. "That's a scary thought, I suppose we'll find out with the results in court." Seamus said, a worried look on his pale freckled face.

Find out they did.

Because not half an hour later Dean stormed out of the courtroom, absolutely furious, his companions at his side. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE TAUNTED THEM? I PROVOKED THE DEATH EATERS, ARE THEY TAKING THE ABSOLUTE PISS? IT'S MY FAULT I WAS TORTURED FOR MONTHS ON END?!" Dean roared into the atmosphere, not taking note of anybody around him.

He fumed inside, before quietly muttering to Seamus after giving him a chaste kiss "I'll be home later."

Dean apparated away, to the only place he knew peace the Natural History museum.

* * *

Hermione Granger, sat on the street, having apparated away from the burrow in the need for solitude. Though she supposed that sitting on the cold hard steps of the Natural History museum wasn't exactly quiet with the amount of people surrounding her.

But it was away from the magic.

Away from the wizarding world and their outdated antics.

She sat there for what felt like hours but was only minutes before a familiar dark haired teenager stood before her. Sniffling Hermione looked up into the eyes of Dean Thomas "What do you want?" she said her voice muffled.

"I want equality." he replied evenly and hollowly to the powerful petite witch on the steps, squatting he joined her, his hands on his bony knees.

She turned to him, a question in her eyes, "You too? Do you know why they didn't offer me a job, because apparently I haven't attained a high enough standard of knowledge, Ron who barely scraped by the entirety of school was offered a job. But not me. He accepted as well, Harry didn't though he came raging back to me."

Dean looked at her with shock in his eyes "But he loved you, why would he do that? Seamus would never do that to me. Ron doesn't know what he's losing."

Hermione laughed brokenly. Eyes cast down, before asking quietly "What did they do to you?"

"They told me I shouldn't have provoked the death eaters and that was why I was kidnapped and tortured to the brink of death." Dean said flatly in return, putting a comforting arm around the small witch who returned the gesture immediately.

"Oh Dean. How could they?!"

"How could they not offer you a job?" Dean returned.

Hermione's face hardened, her beautiful features becoming cold. "Do you know what, we should broadcast this, we should make this known and we should fight back. We can't allow them to oppress us any longer. We didn't with Voldemorte so we shouldn't with the ministry. We should form an alliance. Fight back." Hermione held out her hand to Dean, standing tall despite her height of 5"2.

Dean smiled vengefully.

"Deal."


	2. Quidditch and another member

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! Here's the next chapter. :)**

* * *

Oliver Wood was nervously looking for his mother in the crowd, it was only his third match he had played for Puddlemoore and he liked to have some support there for him. His muggle mother promising she'd cheer him on from the crowd.

But the problem was as he surveyed the crowd, looking especially in the spot for the team members plus two, and she wasn't there. He couldn't see her electric blue eyes and short auburn matt of hair, a wiry frame and generally dressed in bright colours, out going in her nature and her dress sense.

Oliver gulped nervously, still high in the air which seemed to be more violent than in previous sessions, whipping his uniform from side to side, the cold biting his beetroot red cheeks and small button nose.

He soon heard the anthem, though his mother had not yet arrived amongst the sea of faces, which was quite literally impossible because she had driven him here. Something she had insisted on belligerently in her thick welsh accent, still there even after the many years spent in Scotland with Oliver and his father.

He swallowed down the bile rising up his throat, past his Adam's apple, he frantically searched for her now. What if she wasn't here because she had been hurt? Or was dead? They hadn't yet captured all of the death eaters yet, prominent ones close to Voldemort not having been caught such as Dolohov...

What if he had decided to attack his mother? She did stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the witches and wizards waiting in line, she would have been an easy target... Oliver had a choice. To play the game, poorly at best constantly worried for his mothers welfare or to actually DO something about it and search for her.

There was a reason after all why he was put in Gryffindor.

A split second later he sliced through the air, uniform panning out around his burly figure, his new broom living up to all expectations and glowing reviews. He would have grinned childishly, dimples and all if it had not been for the worry of his mother.

He was as fast as the speed of light as he ran to his teams locker room hurriedly changing into more conspicuous clothing before clattering out of there and passing out onto the corridor which held the exit onto the street, and the entrance his mother had entered through.

Oliver tried to block out the deathening and shouting he could from the pitch as he ran. His mother was more important than a game of Quidditch. Even an obsessive like him knew that much.

It took hardly any time to locate the person who usually let people through to their seats, giving them a charming smile and directions on where to go and how to get there. Oliver grabbed him by his thin shoulder blades and shook him. Probably not the best method but hey, he was desperate.

"Have you seen my mother? Has she been hurt? Her name is Gwendolyn Wood, is she okay?" his accent became thick, which generally happened when he was emotional a habit he was yet to kick.

The young man, with slicked back jet black hair looked at him as if he was insane, his watery blue eyes widening frantically at the maniac young man before him, trying to rid Oliver's strong hands of his shoulders.

"Calm down." he said in a nasal tone. "What's your name, that's the only way I'll be able to tell..."

Oliver calmed down a little saying "My names Oliver Wood, she was meant to have a seat under my teams place, Puddlemoore..."

His face morphed into one of disgust practically sneering at Oliver "Oh! Her, generally speaking sir no muggle is allowed into Quidditch matches, Diagon Alley is one thing but Quidditch matches another. I sent her packing!"

Oliver turned on him, his anger that of a bear woken from its hibernation, shoving him against the badly painted wall, "WHAT did you just say? You kicked my MOTHER out while there are death eaters still out there! She's in danger and you threw her to the wolves!" Oliver saw too much red to throw a hex or even grab at the thoughts racing through his spinning head.

So instead he threw a punch, a satisfying CRACK sounding from the then cowering man, his nose misshapen, not that Oliver cared or noticed the blood streaming from his nose, leaking into his trembling mouth.

It was then that Oliver heard a quiet "Ahem." from behind him, turning he saw a young man, more likely boy seemingly of around the age of eighteen with caramel coloured skin and dark mocha eyes. Oliver was sure he had seen him somewhere before and furrowing his eyebrows he managed to remember the fact that he had been in Gryffindor with him. But in Harry's year, so he was eighteen, soon to be nineteen.

Oliver raised one eyebrow in challenge, ignoring the man groaning at his pain. It was deserved.

"And you are?" he asked, his once emotional voice blank.

"Dean Thomas, I would say its a pleasure to make your acquaintance and it is, but I think it would be best if we left here before I say anything else. Come I'll apparate." He reached out to Oliver, clutching his forearm before they disapperated.

Leaving the raw bloody scene behind them.

They were sat in the Leaky Cauldron before Dean Thomas would say anything about, well, whatever it was he wanted to say. Soon Oliver would know whether it meant trouble or not. He could stick up for himself in a fight.

Dean sat with his arms crossed and his expression was calculating. "Am I right in saying you were fighting in a form of revenge for your muggle mother who was not allowed to the game? One of your first games on the team?" his tone was bland, hiding any sort of feelings he held on the matter.

Oliver narrowed his eyes before muttering "Yes-" he grew louder, "-With good reason! There are still death eaters out there, he shouldn't have kicked her out! The treatment of half-bloods and muggleborns hasn't improved like I thought it would. I thought that it was the influence death eaters had held of in the ministry. But I guess I'm wrong" Dean nodded, his once hard face softening.

"Your right there. You know Hermione Granger, yeah? Stupid question actually, everybody knows who she is, with being Potter's bestie and her brains and looks. Hard not too, well anyway the ministry offered Ron and Harry jobs at the ministry with the end of the war but not her. They said she wasn't up to their 'standards', her who is smarter than all of them put together! The brains of the golden trio! Harry and Ron likely wouldn't be alive without her-maybe I'm exaggerating but its a possibility. What do you think?" he had become more passionate throughout his little speech, eyes filled to the brim with fury.

Blurring his edges.

Talking of blurs, his vision blurred, only seeing scarlet red, not the cheerful Gryffindor colour. But the furious one everyone saw when in a grump. Except for the fact that Oliver was in much more than that of a grump. There wasn't a single word in any dictionary to describe it.

His voice became a deadly quiet, "Are you being serious? They actually did that?"

Dean kept his head held high, giving a small smile to somebody across the pub before turning his focus back on Oliver "I'm serious. Not only that but they told me I couldn't and wouldn't get any compensation or anything at all for the fact that I was imprisoned in Malfoy manner for months on end. Nothing. Not to mention the fact that Hermione was tortured there, under the Cruciatus. Nothing. Me, Luna, Mr Ollivander and more tortured, imprisoned, I get nothing, Hermione nothing. But the others who were imprisoned alongside me get something in return for what happened to them. But not me, and why you may ask, because I'm a muggleborn, apparently it was my fault I was caught by the snatchers. I provoked them."

Any words stood stuck in his throat, feeling like they would be lodged there permanently. Oliver could have choked. It was good he hadn't yet sipped on his butter beer with its foamy top still bubbling.

He managed to whisper out, barely "What can I do, what can we do?"

Dean gave a superior smile, a Slytherin worthy one at that before adding on the end of his little planned set up "You can join me, join me and Hermione. Probably soon to be more, we will get revenge we will get our equality in the wizarding world. After all how many muggleborns gave their lives in name of having their freedom, facing so much pain only for others to have more pain at the end of the tunnel? I think you should know."

Oliver nodded along, caught in Dean's web of truth. Wincing at the memories of his many friends, so many of them caught in pained frozen expressions forever more "Many, too many. I also remember hearing about Colin Creevey. Not even seventeen yet, a younger brother will be mourning him along with many more. He gave his life so his brother could have a better one."

Dean looked at him, passion matching in each other's eyes, "We will make sure of it."

Oliver nodded "I'm in."

It was then that Hermione Granger sidled in and sat beside him.

"Good, now our duo is a trio. Not to mention the fact Harry is backing us 100%, his anger actually scared me the last time I talked to him. I had to let him cool off a little. Take him to the cinema."

Oliver jumped, banging his leg on the cracked table "MERLIN!" he yelped. Rubbing his aching leg, soon to be bruised a pretty purple colour.

Dean smirked at him "Nice to see you 'Mione, Seamus on his way?" his voice turning hopeful, eyes glistening.

"Nope. " Hermione stated "He had to visit his muggle cousin who was throwing a sort of tantrum, her parents think she's too young to be engaged. Something of the like, I came as soon as I heard, this Oliver? I haven't seen you in years mate!"

Hermione reached out, giving Oliver a quick friendly hug which made Oliver blush furiously at her brusque easy manner, after all she had barely known him in school. Though he had taken the time to teach her how to fly a broom, tutoring her up to the standards of the Quidditch teams. Though he had never managed to quite convince her to try out. Shame Oliver thought, remembering her skill.

She had sure changed since he had last seen her, with her hair knotty and clothes singed and torn on the battle field at Hogwarts. It was a lovely surprise the vintage muggle dress, leather jacket and boots. Hair off her beautiful heart shaped face.

"Nice to see you too! Though I never thought we'd be meeting in these circumstances..."

Her expression became grim "Neither did I, right though Dean said the basics could you tell me what happened- if you want to that is..."

Oliver nodded his head "Of course, that's fine. You need to know anyway, that way we can begin to plan how and what to change."

He launched into a long winded explanation, including random facts about his Quidditch team and his mother, whom he was yet to contact. Something he had to do.

It wasn't long after Oliver finished talking that he felt too guilty for not checking on her earlier, telling the younger people he had to go but they would- definitely- be in contact soon. They had too.

Hermione turned to Dean saying "That's another case, mine, yours, his, we need another way to find out about these cases. We won't just happen to stumble upon them like this. It was a fluke you were late to the Quidditch match at the time he rushed out. A coincidence!"

Dean gave her a strange look, an unusual glint in his eyes saying "Have you ever considered Hermione that maybe fate is on our side after all?" and that was the last Oliver heard of their conversation as he left the Leaky cauldron, shivering at the memory of the look in Dean's eyes.


End file.
